This invention relates to a Building Component for use in constructing a roof for a building primarily, but not only, a building constructed having a xe2x80x9cdouble skinxe2x80x9d outer wall(s) particularly, but not necessarily, having a cavity between said skins, the cavity normally being filled or substantially so with an insulation material.
While this invention is primarily concerned with the provision of gable wall overhangs, barge boards and soffits, it is also applicable to the provision of front/rear wall overhangs, fascia boards and soffits. Heretofore, overhangs have been constructed of timber as have barge boards and soffits which require regular painting maintenance with both barge boards and soffits being susceptible to rot and decay and requiring periodic replacement. Separate barge boards and soffits have also been provided of synthetic plastics material. While these are beneficial in requiring little maintenance, they tend to degrade when exposed to sunlight, due to ultra violet radiation and thermal stresses due to temperature fluctuations. These existing building components are disadvantageous, and an object of the present invention is to obviate or mitigate these disadvantages. Also, a requirement of building regulations currently in force is the capping or closing-off of the top of a cavity. This capping operation is normally achieved by fabrication on site using a board of natural or synthetic material in the same, a preceding or a succeeding operation including the gable wall overhang, the barge board and the soffit.
Accordingly, the present invention is a building component comprising a cladding unit having an overhang portion and a securing portion, the outer face of the overhang portion serving as a barge/fascia board. A lower face of the overhang portion beneficially serves as a soffit.
Preferably, the cladding unit is thin walled and of sideways S-shape with three spaced upright parallel walls, two walls of which one outer wall and the centre wall being connected by a lower plate at their lower edges and two walls, the centre wall and the second outer wall being connected by an upper plate at their upper edges. The one outer wall to serve as the barge/fascia board may be of greater length than the other two walls which may be of equal length or substantially so. The lower plate beneficially serves as the soffit. The centre wall, upper plate and the second wall preferably serve as the securing portion to fit over the wall.
The securing portion also includes a capping tile portion to extend across the cavity. In a first aspect of the invention, the upper plate is of dimension to fit over the double skinned wall of the building whereby to serve as an included capping tile portion. In a second aspect of the invention, the upper plate is of dimension to fit over the outer skin of the wall of the building and the capping tile portion is a second lower plate extending out from the second wall away from the centre wall. A fourth upright wall may be provided at the outer edge of the second lower plate to abut or be contiguous against the inner skin of the wall of the building. At the transition between the one outer wall and the first lower plate. a drip provision is beneficially provided in the form of a channel or an elongate protuberance.
The cladding unit is desirably the same or substantially the same length as a building block and is for use with others of its kind in being laid side-by-side as a course on top of a wall. Alternatively, the cladding unit may be provided in desired multi-block lengths.
Preferably also, the cladding unit is made of any durable material, for example cementitious material and desirably has a mat or fibre reinforcement of synthetic material.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: